Richmond Progressives Speak Out Against Chevron

brettanthonydixon

6 years ago

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A few images, links and excerpts of progressives speaking out against Chevron’s role in the explosions and fire on Monday. The fire released sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen oxide, sulfuric acid and nitrogen dioxide into the air and over 900 people sought medical treatment. (SJMercurynews).

“The meeting’s question-and-answer session immediately turned into a verbal brawl, which didn’t stop until the meeting ended at 8:30 p.m. and what was left of the crowd surrounded the stage. Police officers stood by as audience members pressed officials for more answers. . . .

During protests before the meeting, members of a group called Urban Tilth, which runs 11 community gardens here, tossed armloads of their fresh-grown produce into trash cans, ruing that there is no way to know how badly the refinery fire “poisoned it.”

“That toxic plume went over every one of our gardens,” said Doria Robinson, Urban Tilth executive director. “We might have to pull out all of the food we’ve been growing because of what happened yesterday.” Inside the auditorium, dozens of the group’s members and supporters brought the meeting to a brief standstill.”

‎”Should we have Councilmembers like Nat Bates who take campaign money and assistance from Chevron and its political front groups in charge of protecting us in this vital area? Candidates Eduardo Martinez and Marilyn Langlois take no contributions from Chevron or any other corporation. They are loyal only to Richmond.”

“Chevron was also instrumental in preparing the illegal aggression and occupation of Iraq. Part of the infamous “Cheney Energy Task Force” that met just days after George W. Bush was inaugurated, the Task Force worked with the National Security Council to merge “operational policies toward rogue states” with “actions regarding the capture of new and existing oil and gas fields.” Since the invasion Chevron has pushed heavily for production contracts and production sharing agreements through the failed Iraq Oil Law. Now western oil companies’ best hope to directly extract Iraqi oil is the second round of extraction and production negotiations set for November. All the while Chevron maintains its marketing agreements with Iraq, refining millions of barrels of Iraqi oil at its Richmond refinery, profiting from the US war and occupation.”